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| December 18, 2005 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 15, 1426 |
Flintoff believes England capable of bouncing back
RAWALPINDI, Dec 17: For England’s top all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, the cricketing mathematics is simple: two games and two victories. That is what the tourists require as they bid to beat Pakistan in a series they trail 1-2.
“We have got two games! and we have to win both, it is as simple as that,” Flintoff told the media at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium which is to host the last two matches of the five-game series.
With Pakistan on the up following their 165-run victory at Karachi Thursday in what was literally a ‘no-match’, Flintoff was all praise for the home side.
“We were played out of the park and Pakistan were excellent,” said the Ashes hero, who has looked good but only in patches in the ongoing series with scores of 72, 0 and 36 in the first three matches.
He felt that England had the energy to complete a come-from-behind series victory.
“We have done it before by playing some good cricket over the past few years and we have to do it again.”
Flintoff, dismissed by a perfect yorker from super sub Yasir Arafat at Karachi underlined the need for his side to finish off the year well.
“I think it is important and it will be disappointing if we end up with a defeat after all the hard work we put in during the summer.”
After losing the Test series 0-2, “it will be nice to take something back with us.”
But Flintoff said that England batting had not really clicked.
“We didn’t post enough runs for the bowlers in the second game and in Karachi Pakistan just batted well.”
England were handed a seven wicket defeat in the second ODI at Lahore as Pakistan squared the series 1-1 before crushing the tourists in the third match to take lead.
Flintoff, whose side won the opening game, also at Lahore by 42 runs, said that it was disappointing the way they had fared since then.
“We have to play well on Monday if we want to level the series.”
The England players were at the Rawalpindi Stadium on Saturday, going through their paces and hoping that things go their way come Monday.
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